Alberta grace period ends with 29 operators, 50 sites live

Alberta's grace period for online gambling operators that already took bets in the province without a provincial licence ended on 13 October 2026. Dan Keene, chief executive of the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), told Canadian Gaming Business that 50 licensed sites run by 29 operating companies were live as of 14 October, and that he expects another 10 to 15 sites before the end of 2026.

The count was still moving. AiGC's public list showed 49 sites when Canadian Gaming Business published, and an AiGC spokesperson told Casino.org the number could change by the end of the day.

"Alberta's regulated igaming market exists to protect Albertans," Keene said. "We look forward to working with operators who have chosen accountability by transitioning away from the illegal grey market."

How the market is set up

Alberta's regulated market opened on 13 July 2026. AGLC allowed operators that were already active in the province to keep running for a 90-day transition period while they joined, case by case, if they showed a path to compliance. To go live, a company needs registration with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), the regulator, and an operating agreement with AiGC, the provincial Crown corporation that conducts and manages the market. Some companies run several brands, which is why the site count is higher than the operator count. Play Alberta, the government's own site, is separate from the commercial sites.

What happens to sites that missed the window

AiGC spokesperson Amanda Ash told Covers that operators planning to transition had to sign an operating agreement by 13 October. "In the event an operator's 'go live' date occurs after October 13, 2026, the operator must cease all unregulated market activities until the date they go live," she said. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally had already ruled out another extension: "We have been very clear that the deadline is October 13th," he said, as reported by PGRI.

AGLC says it will monitor compliance and take enforcement action against operators that keep serving Albertans without approval, according to Focus Gaming News. The province has not said what those measures will be. Speaking at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas on 29 September, Nally said the province would "pull every lever at our disposal" and mentioned talks with large platforms such as Apple and Google, as well as social media, as possible routes, Covers reported. Ontario, whose model Alberta largely follows, has fined registered suppliers for providing games to unauthorised websites, Casino.org notes; for how Ontario's regulator polices its own licensees, see the AGCO's penalty against theScore Bet.

Casino.org reports that PointsBet has registered with AGLC but is not live yet because it has not completed its agreement with AiGC. Stake is listed in AiGC's directory of registered sites, but had not publicly confirmed a launch when PGRI published on 13 October. In poker, PokerStars and 888 switched off their international poker services for Alberta players at the deadline; 888 is preparing a regulated poker launch in the province.

BetMGM, live since the market opened in July, said Alberta accounted for about a fifth of the new players it gained in the third quarter.

What this means for players

If you play from Alberta, check that a site appears in AiGC's directory of registered iGaming sites before you deposit. AiGC says registered sites carry its logo. Apart from Play Alberta, the government's own site, a site that is not on the list should no longer be taking bets from Albertans, and the province says it will act against those that do. For the background to the deadline, see our preview from 12 October.

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